The Berliner Grundtheater e.V. (BGT) was founded in Berlin in 1991 and is dedicated to producing a wide range of English-language plays, while integrating players of different nationalities. In addition to playing many seasons in Berlin, the company has also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and at Anglo-German Festivals in Germany, and is now based permanently in Luxembourg.
The BGT repertoire includes shows by authors as varied as Peter Shaffer, Anthony Minghella, Oscar Wilde and William Shakespeare. The company also produces original scripts, such as adaptations of JANE EYRE (2010), LITTLE WOMEN (2014) and A CHRISTMAS CAROL 016) and in January 2020 it premiered June Lowery's CHARLES DICKENS, THE BEST OF MEN; THE WORST OF MEN. The company is especially committed to promoting theatre for female actors and writers who are under-represented in the theatre and performance world. Shows like WOLVES ARE COMING FOR YOU (2019), PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (2018) DAVID'S REDHAIRED DEATH (2020) and THE ROAD TO HUNTSVILLE (2021) and most recently WE HAPPY FEW (2021) all featured mostly - if not only - women actors as part of the company's policy to put women centre stage.
Combined with its policy of promoting plays by and about women, in recent years the company has also focused on promoting young performers and traineee or aspiring actors who are hoping to work in theatre. It is a co-sponsor of FEST (The FESTIVAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL THEATRE) which takes place every second year in Luxembourg (https://www.fest.lu/) and in 2019 started a summer programme giving trainee actors a contract to work on a show.
with RachelKathryn Lloyd, Lina Peller, Céline Planata
Directed by Tony & Ferelith Kingston
Lighting Catriona Gillham Sound Marc Kaysen
with Caeli Colgan & Josie Hatch
Neimënster, Centre Culturel de Rencontre Abbaye de Neumünster
28, rue Münster, L1260 Luxembourg, Salle José Ensch
Thursday 29th & Friday 30th September & Saturday 1st October at 19.30
Tickets now on sale: €20.00 (students €12.00)
PRODUCED BY AGREEMENT WITH NICK HERN BOOKS
“DI AND VIV AND ROSE” is a warm and funny play about female friendship. First performed in 2012, the play traces the intertwined lives of three women from their late teens into their early 40s.
Aged 18, Di, Viv and Rose meet in their first term at university. In many ways they are so different, but somehow become close friends. Life is fun. Living is intense. Together they feel unassailable as they share their ambitions and explore their sexuality and their identities. But as time goes on, life throws unexpected obstacles at them. They must deal with both happiness and tragedy – and the consequences that their own decisions have on the others.
Crackling with wisdom and wit, Amelia Bullmore's play is a humorous and thoughtful exploration of friendship's impact on life and life's impact on friendship. “I used to think growing up together used to mean shooting upwards alongside certain people; but now I think the way you shoot up … is contingent on a few people shooting up with you”.
“DI AND VIV AND ROSE” is the latest in the BGT’s programme of plays, focusing on work by women and putting young female performers centre stage.
The BGT is proud to present a completely new play, currently being developed by 18-year old International School of Luxembourg drama graduate ELOÏSE HEGER HEDLOY. Inspired by her studies of the work of iconic 19th poet Emily Dickinson, Eloïse's debut play will look at the struggles and compromises that an individual must make to accept his or her calling as as poet. The latest play to put WOMEN CENTRE STAGE and to encourage young, new talent, this project is currently being workshopped by actors from the BGT and will go into rehearssal in the autumn, with performances planned for early 2023.
More details will follow.
Betsy Adams, RachelKathryn Lloyd, Bjorn Clasen, Lindsay Wegleitner, Yannick Hill and (front row) Caeli Colgan, Ana Maia, Eloïse Heger-Hedloy and Manou Gonçalves at the latest workshop on 22nd May.
LUXEMBOURG TIMES
Nine schools and 95 students to perform at FEST 2022 (luxtimes.lu)
CHRONICLE.LU
RADIO ARA - Interview with Students acting at FEST 2022 (Podcast)
Read the "culture.lu" article on "The Road to Huntsville" and the role of women in theatre